Stylus (computing)

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several styluses; (l to r) PalmPilot Professional, Fossil Wrist PDA, Nokia 770, Audiovox XV6600, HP Jornada 520, Sharp Zaurus 5500, Fujitsu Lifebook P-1032 Styluses.JPG
several styluses; (l to r) PalmPilot Professional, Fossil Wrist PDA, Nokia 770, Audiovox XV6600, HP Jornada 520, Sharp Zaurus 5500, Fujitsu Lifebook P-1032

In computing, a stylus (or stylus pen) is a small pen-shaped instrument whose tip position on a computer monitor can be detected. It is used to draw, or make selections by tapping. While devices with touchscreens such as newer computers, mobile devices (smartphones and personal digital assistants [1] ), game consoles, [2] and graphics tablets [1] can usually be operated with a fingertip, a stylus provides more accurate and controllable input. [3] The stylus has the same function as a mouse or touchpad as a pointing device; its use is commonly called pen computing.

Contents

History

The earliest computer-related usage for a stylus was in 1643 with Pascal's calculator. [4] The device had rotary dials that rotated in accordance with the selected numbers; with gears, drums, and clever engineering, it was capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division (using 9's constant). A stylus was used to turn the dials. Later devices of this type include the Arithmometer, in the 1860s; and the Addiator, in 1920. [5] The Addiator was a pocket mechanical adding machine that used a stylus to move tiny rigid slices of sheet-metal that were enclosed in a case. On the side of a slice of metal there were numbers that became visible to display the result. It was capable of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. In 1967 there was a HEXADAT model, [6] which allowed 4-function math to be applied to hexadecimal numbers for use in programming. The first use of a stylus in an electronic computing device was the Stylator, demonstrated by Tom Dimond in 1957. [7] [8]

Types

Different types of stylus are used for graphics tablets, as well as resistive and capacitive touchscreens. Capacitive screens are very widely used on smart phones and multi-touch surfaces, where simultaneous use of several fingers is detected; a stylus cannot replicate this. [9]

Capacitive

Capacitive (also called passive) styluses emulate a finger by using a tip made of rubber or conductive foam; or metal such as copper. They do not need to be powered and can be used on any multi-touch surface that a finger can be used, typically capacitive screens that are common in smart phones and tablet computers. Stylus tips made of rubber or foam are often large, making it rather difficult to get precise notes or drawings.

Capacitive styluses work by distorting the screen’s electrostatic field. [10] Screens that receive input from a capacitive stylus (as well as human fingers) can't register pressure applied by the pen; tilting of the pen; and can't distinguish between a capacitive stylus, your finger, or a resting palm as input - it will register all of these touches as marks on the screen.

Capacitive styluses are made of a conductive material (typically as a metal rod or barrel) to transmit electrical charge between the hand and a rubber/foam [11] [ better source needed ] or metal tip such as copper. Being free of any digital components, capacitive styluses can be cost effective to manufacture. DIY capacitive styluses can also be made with materials found at home. [12]

Capacitive styluses tend to work on any multi-touch surface that accepts input from a finger.

Active

Active (also called digital [1] ) styluses include digital components or circuitry inside the pen that communicates with a digitizer on the touch device. This communication allows for advanced features such as pressure sensitivity, tilt, programmable buttons, palm detection, eraser tips, memorizing settings, and writing data transmission. In order for an active stylus to function, its digital component protocol must match the digitizer technology in the touch screen it is interacting with. Active styluses are powered by a removable or chargeable battery, or operate passively by inductance.

Active styluses use different protocols by different manufacturers in order to communicate with the digitizer of a graphic tablet or multi-touch device. The digital protocol of the pen must match the device digitizer, otherwise input from the pen will not register on the device.

Common active stylus protocols are:

Examples of active styluses:

Performance

A stylus' performance is measured by these four characteristics: [13]

  1. Comfort
  2. Resistance
  3. Balance and weight
  4. Precision:
    1. Responsiveness & speed
    2. Jitter
    3. Tilt
    4. Levels of pressure
    5. Palm rejection or detection, [14] which prevents a touch device from registering or marking the screen when a hand or palm is resting on the screen surface, relies on a combination of technology in the stylus, the OS software and the screen digitizer technology, to work effectively.

Comparison Characteristics of Smartphone Stylus Pens

A stylus' performance is measured by these four characteristics: [15]

  1. Compatibility
  2. Dimensions
  3. Weight
  4. Precision:
    1. Pressure Sensitivity
    2. Tilt Support
    3. Battery Life
    4. Charging Mechanism
    5. Smartphone stylus pens have become a popular tool for smartphone users who want to take notes, draw, or create digital art on their device. A good stylus can make a huge difference in the precision and ease of use when interacting with a smartphone, especially for those who find it difficult to navigate the small touchscreen with their fingers.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Personal digital assistant</span> Multi-purpose mobile device

A personal digital assistant (PDA), also known as a handheld PC, is a multi-purpose mobile device which functions as a personal information manager. PDAs have been mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of highly capable smartphones, in particular those based on iOS and Android, and thus saw a rapid decline in use after 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pointing device</span> Human interface device for computers

A pointing device is a human interface device that allows a user to input spatial data to a computer. CAD systems and graphical user interfaces (GUI) allow the user to control and provide data to the computer using physical gestures by moving a hand-held mouse or similar device across the surface of the physical desktop and activating switches on the mouse. Movements of the pointing device are echoed on the screen by movements of the pointer and other visual changes. Common gestures are point and click and drag and drop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graphics tablet</span> Computer input device

A graphics tablet is a computer input device that enables a user to hand-draw images, animations and graphics, with a special pen-like stylus, similar to the way a person draws images with a pencil and paper. These tablets may also be used to capture data or handwritten signatures. It can also be used to trace an image from a piece of paper that is taped or otherwise secured to the tablet surface. Capturing data in this way, by tracing or entering the corners of linear polylines or shapes, is called digitizing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stylus</span> Writing utensil or small tool for marking or shaping

A stylus is a writing utensil or a small tool for some other form of marking or shaping, for example, in pottery. It can also be a computer accessory that is used to assist in navigating or providing more precision when using touchscreens. It usually refers to a narrow elongated staff, similar to a modern ballpoint pen. Many styluses are heavily curved to be held more easily. Another widely used writing tool is the stylus used by blind users in conjunction with the slate for punching out the dots in Braille.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchpad</span> Type of pointing device

A touchpad or trackpad is a type of pointing device. Its largest component is a tactile sensor: an electronic device with a flat surface, that detects the motion and position of a user's fingers, and translates them to a position on a screen, to control a pointer in a graphical user interface. Touchpads are common on laptop computers, contrasted with desktop computers, where mice are more prevalent. Trackpads are sometimes used on desktops, where desk space is scarce. Because trackpads can be made small, they can be found on personal digital assistants (PDAs) and some portable media players. Wireless touchpads are also available, as detached accessories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Touchscreen</span> Input and output device

A touchscreen is a type of display that can detect touch input from a user. It consists of both an input device and an output device. The touch panel is typically layered on the top of the electronic visual display of a device. Touchscreens are commonly found in smartphones, tablets, laptops, and other electronic devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interactive whiteboard</span> Large interactive display

An interactive whiteboard (IWB), also known as interactive board or smart board, is a large interactive display board in the form factor of a whiteboard. It can either be a standalone touchscreen computer used independently to perform tasks and operations, or a connectable apparatus used as a touchpad to control computers from a projector. They are used in a variety of settings, including classrooms at all levels of education, in corporate board rooms and work groups, in training rooms for professional sports coaching, in broadcasting studios, and others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Digital pen</span> Input device

A digital pen is an input device which captures the handwriting or brush strokes of a user and converts handwritten analog information created using "pen and paper" into digital data, enabling the data to be utilized in various applications. This type of pen is usually used in conjunction with a digital notebook, although the data can also be used for different applications or simply as a graphic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tablet computer</span> Mobile computer with integrated display, circuitry and battery

A tablet computer, commonly shortened to tablet, is a mobile device, typically with a mobile operating system and touchscreen display processing circuitry, and a rechargeable battery in a single, thin and flat package. Tablets, being computers, have similar capabilities, but lack some input/output (I/O) abilities that others have. Modern tablets largely resemble modern smartphones, the only differences being that tablets are relatively larger than smartphones, with screens 7 inches (18 cm) or larger, measured diagonally, and may not support access to a cellular network. Unlike laptops, tablets usually run mobile operating systems, alongside smartphones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-touch</span> Technology

In computing, multi-touch is technology that enables a surface to recognize the presence of more than one point of contact with the surface at the same time. The origins of multitouch began at CERN, MIT, University of Toronto, Carnegie Mellon University and Bell Labs in the 1970s. CERN started using multi-touch screens as early as 1976 for the controls of the Super Proton Synchrotron. Capacitive multi-touch displays were popularized by Apple's iPhone in 2007. Multi-touch may be used to implement additional functionality, such as pinch to zoom or to activate certain subroutines attached to predefined gestures using gesture recognition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pen computing</span> Uses a stylus and tablet/touchscreen

Pen computing refers to any computer user-interface using a pen or stylus and tablet, over input devices such as a keyboard or a mouse.

A text entry interface or text entry device is an interface that is used to enter text information in an electronic device. A commonly used device is a mechanical computer keyboard. Most laptop computers have an integrated mechanical keyboard, and desktop computers are usually operated primarily using a keyboard and mouse. Devices such as smartphones and tablets mean that interfaces such as virtual keyboards and voice recognition are becoming more popular as text entry systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Resistive touchscreen</span> Touchscreen technology

A resistive touchscreen is a type of touch-sensitive display that works by detecting pressure applied to the screen. It is composed of two flexible sheets coated with a resistive material and separated by an air gap or microdots.

In electrical engineering, capacitive sensing is a technology, based on capacitive coupling, that can detect and measure anything that is conductive or has a dielectric constant different from air. Many types of sensors use capacitive sensing, including sensors to detect and measure proximity, pressure, position and displacement, force, humidity, fluid level, and acceleration. Human interface devices based on capacitive sensing, such as touchpads, can replace the computer mouse. Digital audio players, mobile phones, and tablet computers will sometimes use capacitive sensing touchscreens as input devices. Capacitive sensors can also replace mechanical buttons.

Hands-on computing is a branch of human-computer interaction research which focuses on computer interfaces that respond to human touch or expression, allowing the machine and the user to interact physically. Hands-on computing can make complicated computer tasks more natural to users by attempting to respond to motions and interactions that are natural to human behavior. Thus hands-on computing is a component of user-centered design, focusing on how users physically respond to virtual environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Input device</span> Device that provides data and signals to a computer

In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system, such as a computer or information appliance. Examples of input devices include keyboards, computer mice, scanners, cameras, joysticks, and microphones.

The history of tablet computers and the associated special operating software is an example of pen computing technology, and thus the development of tablets has deep historical roots. The first patent for a system that recognized handwritten characters by analyzing the handwriting motion was granted in 1914. The first publicly demonstrated system using a tablet and handwriting recognition instead of a keyboard for working with a modern digital computer dates to 1956.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Microsoft Tablet PC</span> Microsofts former line of tablets

Microsoft Tablet PC is a term coined by Microsoft for tablet computers conforming to a set of specifications announced in 2001 by Microsoft, for a pen-enabled personal computer, conforming to hardware specifications devised by Microsoft and running a licensed copy of Windows XP Tablet PC Edition operating system or a derivative thereof.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surface Pro</span> Detachable tablet by Microsoft

The Surface Pro is a first generation 2-in-1 detachable of the Microsoft Surface series, designed and manufactured by Microsoft. The device ran a 64-bit version of Windows 8 Pro operating system with a free upgrade possibility to Windows 8.1 Pro, and eventually also Windows 10. Initially announced as Surface for Windows 8 Pro on June 18, 2012, at a Los Angeles event, Microsoft later renamed the device to Surface Pro, and launched it on February 9, 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Active pen</span> Type of input device

An active pen is an input device that includes electronic components and allows users to write directly onto the display of a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet computer or ultrabook. The active pen marketplace has long been dominated by N-trig and Wacom, but newer firms Atmel and Synaptics also offer active pen designs.

References

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  8. Dimond, T. L. (1958). "Devices for Reading Handwritten Characters". December 9–13, 1957 Eastern Joint Computer Conference: Computers with Deadlines to Meet. Association for Computing Machinery: 232–237. doi:10.1145/1457720.1457765. S2CID   17961928.
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  10. Kazmeyer, Milton (September 28, 2018). "How Does a Stylus Pen Work?". Techwalla. Retrieved June 1, 2020.
  11. "The Science Behind Capacitive Styluses". Nelson-Miller, Inc. 2019-07-15. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  12. Bell, Donald. "How to make a capacitive stylus (photos)". CNET. Retrieved 2020-06-01.
  13. "The Best Stylus for Your iPad for 2020". The New York Times. 2019-11-18. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-06-01.
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